Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device or circuit that extracts the original information signal from a modulated carrier wave: A demodulator is a key component in communication systems that performs the reverse process of modulation. It recovers the original data (like audio, video, or digital data) from a radio frequency or other carrier wave that has been altered to carry that information.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The radio's demodulator converts the received signal back into audible sound.
  • A key function of a modem is demodulation; it contains a demodulator to interpret the incoming signal from the telephone line.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In software-defined radio (SDR), the demodulator is often implemented in software rather than as a physical hardware circuit.
  • The SDR application uses a digital demodulator algorithm to decode the AM broadcast.

Variants and Related Words

• Demodulate (verb): The action performed by a demodulator.
  • The circuit is designed to demodulate the FM signal.
• Demodulation (noun): The process of extracting the original signal.
  • Demodulation is essential for recovering the transmitted information.

Synonyms

• Detector: A general term often used interchangeably with demodulator in radio contexts, specifically for amplitude modulation (AM).
• Decoder: In digital communications, a decoder often performs a similar function of interpreting a modulated signal to recover data.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Modulator: The complementary device that imposes the information signal onto the carrier wave.
• Modem: A portmanteau of "modulator-demodulator"; a device that contains both functions for digital data transmission.

Noun

1. rectifier that extracts modulation from a radio carrier wave